The Irish standard., 1887-05-07
LORD LANSDoWNES TENANTS.
United Ireland, April 16.

United Ireland, April 16.
A great meeting was held in Athy, on
Sunday, to support the Luggacurran
tenants in their stand against Lord
Lansdowne. The spacious square in
front of the platform was thronged.
Messrs. William O'Brien, John Dillon,
M. F., A. O'Ccnner, NJ, p. James
Leahy, M. F.. and w. A. Macdonald,
M. p, attended. The chair was taken
by Rev. J. Staples, C. q. Mr.. J. W..
Dunno and Mr.. Denis Kilbride were
present on the platform. The Rev.
Chairman, in opening the meeting, con-
graduated them on the success of the
struggle. Lord Lansdowne had COM
planned of getting threatening letters,
but the only ones he had got were the
twitchipgs of his guilty conscience. He
might threaten to put his minions OH
the track of men who would 60 to Can
ada to tear the mask from him, but he
might cease to imagine that they would
finch from the struggle. Let the coer-
cionists remember that the Irish race
had registered a VOW before high hea-
ven that they would make Lansdowne,
and men of his class, amenable and
listen to their just demands; aye, and a
VOW also that, come what would-exile
or the grave, the prison, or anything
that could be inflicted upon them-the
old flag of their country would yet wave
above a free Parliament in College
Green. (Cheers.) Mr.. Minch lead let
tiers of apology from Sir Thomas g. Es-
monde, M. p, Mr.. j. L. Carew, M. P,
and Mr.. Michael Davitt, and proposed
the following resolutions:-"That we,
the people of Kildare. Queens County,
Carlow, and Wicklow, in public meet
ing assembled, condemn the unjust
and heartless evictions carried out by
the Goyernor-G General of Canada, and
Trench, his agent, on the Lansdowne
estate in the Queens County. That
we thank Messrs. Dunno, Kilbride, and
the other tenants for the gallant stand
they are making against oppression, and
that we pledge ourselves to make their
cause our own by our practical SYM
pathy and support as long as Lord
Landsdowne refuses to yield to the de-
mands of justice and right. That we
record our solemn protest against the
proposed Coercion Act as an outrage on
the liberties and manhood Of the Irish
race. That we once more affirm our
undylng fidelity to the great principle
of national autonomy--of Irish rule for
the Irish people-and that we thank
Mr.. Gladstone and our own revered
chieftain, Mr.. Parnell, who, with their
able associates, are laboring so zeal
ously and so we'll in aid of the cause
that is dear to our hearts.
MR.. O'CONNoR' SPEECH.
Mr.. Arthur O'Connor, M. F.. then
addressed the meeting. He referred
to the fact that his encouragement to
the tenants of Lord Lansdowne at
Marlborough few weeks before that
they would be the charge Of the people
of the Queens county, of Ireland, and
of the Irish race throughout the world
had been amply realized far beyond his
expectations. Lord Lansdowne3 had
Indirectly announced that if they went
to Canada to make attacks upon the
landlord of Luggacurran they should be
put under police surveillance. That had
no terrols for the Irish party; it could
not be worse there than in Ireland,
where they had become pretty accus-
toned to it. No threats that Lans-
downe had been foolish enough to make
would have any effect on Mr.. o 'Brien
or himself, and if necessary they were
prepared to go from end to end of Can
ada and denounce those evictions. Re-
ferring to the Coercion Act he said the
leading idea was to break down the
legal combination of the tenants. 1t
showed to the tenants the strength that
lay in their united action. 1t was the
duty of every Irishman to be prepared
to act if the Coercion Act is passed just
as if that Act had never existed, to act
according to the dictates of their con
sciences regardless of consequences.
MR.. M'DoNALD's SPEECH.
Mr.. W. A. Mcdonald, M. p, con-
-demned the harshness, cruelty, and in
Justice of the Landsdown evictions,
and eulogized the gallant stand made
by Messrs. Dunno and Kilbride against
a landlord who had other resources be-
sides his rent-roll, and against super
human difficulties, especially as the
tenants were not of the poorer class.
He counselled them to remain per-
fectly firm and immovable. that the peo-
pie of Ireland, by their practical SYM
pathies, would show Lord Lansdowne
that if his purse was long the purse of
the Irish people was longer. The Gov
eminent were introducing the Coercion
Act to try to save the tottering fortress
of Irish landlordism, but landlordism
was broken and it would never regain
it's old strength. He denounced the
manner in which the law was admins